You’ve never seen Hollywood quite like the way it’s portrayed in “Babylon,” the new film from Oscar-winning “La La Land” and “First Man” filmmaker Damien Chazelle. This three-hour epic takes place in the late 1920s and opens in a debauchery-filled Hollywood in the heyday of silent films, as it then chronicles a trio of characters through the transition to talkies. Chazelle assembled an all-star cast for the film, including Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, and holds nothing back in this R-rated drama that has drawn more than a few comparisons to Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.”
So if “Babylon” is the film you’re looking to watch over the holiday break, you may be wondering how and where to see it. All your questions answered below.
When Did “Babylon” Come Out?
“Babylon” was released exclusively in theaters on Dec. 23.
Is “Babylon” Streaming?
As of Jan. 31, 2023, “Babylon” is now available on PVOD and on Digital. It will be released on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and in a Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD SteelBook March 21, 2023.
It will eventually be streaming on Paramount+. When, exactly, “Babylon” will be streaming on Paramount+ is a difficult question to answer at the moment – films like “Scream” and “Jackass Forever” were streaming within 45 days of their theatrical release, but a special case was made for “Top Gun: Maverick” as the Tom Cruise sequel enjoyed a months-long theatrically exclusive window.
You can likely expect it on Paramount+ in February at the earliest.
What Is “Babylon” About?
Described as “a tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess,” the film traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.” Chiefly, we follow a young ingenue (Margot Robbie), famous silent movie star (Bratt Pitt) and newcomer to the business (Diego Calva) to see how success and the evolution of the industry affects each one.
Who Is in the “Babylon” Cast?
Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy, an aspiring actress who gets a big break; Brad Pitt is a wildly famous silent movie star named Jack Conrad; and Diego Calva is Manuel “Manny” Torres, a Mexican-American who aspires to work in the movie business. The ensemble cast also includes Jovan Adepo, Jean Smart, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire, Lukas Haas, Max Minghella, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Katherine Wasterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, P.J. Byrne, Eric Roberts and Olivia Hamilton.
Is ”Babylon” a True Story?
Kind of. Each character is based on real people who existed in the 1920s, with Chazelle drawing from Hollywood history for the film’s portrayal of the era.
Robbie’s character is based largely on Clara Bow, a leading sex symbol and silent film star who successfully transitioned to “talkies.” Chazelle also cited Theda Bara, Alma Rubens, Thelma Todd, Mary Nolan and Jeanne Eagels as inspirations for her character. Pitt’s character was inspired by John Gilbert, a silent film star who struggled in the transition to talkies.
Why Is “Babylon” Rated R?
You may have heard of the debauchery on display in “Babylon,” and they ain’t lyin’. The film is rated R for “strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use and pervasive language.”
